Electical controller



March 26, 1-929. w. B. CHU RCHER 1,706,523

ELECTRICAL CONTROLLER Filed Feb. 12, '1925 INVENTOR l latented Mar. 26,1929; 1.

UNITED STATES PATENT orrlos.

CIEUBOHEB, OI CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, OHIO, ASSIGNOB TO THE WHITE COMPANY, OI CLEVELAND, OHIO, A COBIOBATION OII' OHIO."

ELECTRICAL CORT-ROLLER.

Application and February 1:, 1025. Serial No. 8,673.

My invention relates to electrical controllers and particularly to that type trollers which control the operation of electroresponsive devices by the opening or closing of a circuit in which said devices are included.

An object of m invention is to provide an electrical control er of the type mentioned, which is sim 1c ofconstruction and which will be reliable in operation.

Another object of my invention is to revide a certain controller of the above c aracter, which will have its circuit controlling contacts entirely enclosed to prevent dirt, dust and moisture from affecting the electrical conductivity of the contacts.

Another object of my invention is to so enclose the contacts that 'the device may be used in the vicinity of explosive gases without i iting the same.

Other 0 j ects of my invention and the invention itself will become more apparent as the description of certain em odiments "thereof, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and which form a part of this specification, pro esses.

Referring to t e drawin s, Fig. 1 shows a side elevation of an em odiment of my invention' Fig. 2 shows a longitudinal medial section thereof;

Fig. 3 shows a side elevational view of the second embodiment of my invention Fig. 4 shows a longitudinal medial section thereof;

Fig. 5 shows an elevational view illustrating an operating linkage for operating a device of the second em odiment of my invention from an automotive controlling pedal.

Referrin new to the drawings, and in all of which like parts are. designated by like reference characters, at 2 I show a casing herein illustrated as being formed of sheet metal and which I prefer to form of phosphor bronze, brass, steel or like metals, which are suitable for use as sprin the said casing 2 having, in the embo iment illustrated, a pair of circular and substantially flat end walls 3 and 4. and corru ated or folded side. walls 5. The corrugate side walls 5 are preferably united integrally, as

shown, with the end walls 3 and 4. This I casing 2 may be formed in a number of difierent' ways and of one or more primary of concentrally of the to sectional parts, but in the embodiment illustrated, I have herein 'shown the casing as being formed from sheet metal in two pieces.

There is a joint at an intermediate point of which is supported on the upper wall .3,

being shown at 9 and the other contact elements which are supported on the lower wall being shown at 10.

Referring particularl to the first embodiment of my invention, although these contact elements may be of varying forms and still operate substantially as set forth for the purposes intended, I referably form -the contact making operatlons thereof in such a waythat the end of the ,one element protrudes within an end of the other and so that the two elements present, in axial alignment, contact makin portions of each element. Therefore, as lllustrated, for the first embodiment of m invention, I provide a contact element 9 1n the form of a threaded rod or screw, the end of the contact rod 9 projecting within the cup shaped contact element 10. The side portions of the end ofthe rod 9 are disposed so nearly. adjacent the inner surface of the side walls of the contact element 10 that lateral displacement of the end of the rod 9 would cause it'to engage with the said surface to make electrical contacting connection therewith. Also, at the same time, the axial alignment of the inside bottom wall of the contact element 10 and the end of the rod 9 permits an electrical contact to be. made between these arts of the two elements upon longitudinal 'splacement of the rod 9 toward such bottom wall. In order to, permit the contact rod 9 to be movable laterall and longitudinally so as to effect electncal contacting connection with the bottom and side wall inner surfaces of the contact element 10 I mount the rod 9 we 3 of the casing'2 by passing the r0 9 throu h such wall at its central part and then amping it into of the casing, but in the latter case Ipreferably, as illustrated, insulate the cup shaped element 10 from the metallic casing end wall 4 by means of insulating bushing 13, having a reduced end 14 and insulating washer 15. I carry the contact element 10 'on the end wall 4 of the casing by means of a clamping screw 16 and a clamping nut 17, the head of the screw holding the element 10 in place on top of the bushing 13. The shank of the screw electrically connects the element 10 with an electrical terminal 18 on the outside of the casing and clamped between the nut 17 and the insulating washer 15. The other electrical terminal for the switchin controller may be made as shownat 20, w erein the terminal 20 is clamped between the head of a screw 21 and a flange 22 by a casing support 23, said casing support having an intermediate portion to which the end wall 4 of the casing is secured by means of rivets 24. The casing support 23 is secured by means of the screws 21 and 25 to a plate 26 comprising a part of T whatever support the controller is to be mounted on. The contact screw 9 is vided with a head 27, which is faced with an insulating button 28.

To operate the device of my invention, it is only necessary to depress the button 28, the pressure causing the end wall 3 to be flexed and also the side walls 31 to be collapsed. The yielding of the end walls and the side walls permits the end of the contact rod element 9 to engage with the inner surface of the cup-shaped element 10 and make electrical connection between the contact elements. If the downward pressure exerted -on the button 8 is not directly axial of the rod 9, but is applied at an angle to axial ali ent therewith, the flexibility of the en wall 3 will permit it to be distorted and bent, so that contact will be had between a side portion of the end of the line contact element 9 and an inner side wall of the contact element 10, the end of the contact rod in such case being laterally deflected against such inner side walls.

It is apparent from what has been above stated that the. contacts 9 and 10 are protected from the outside air carrying moisture and dust, as well as from ,ex losive or inflammable gases or water or ot er fluids in which the casing may be immersed.

After the contacts are made and the pressure upon the button 28 is relieved, the contacts W111 be broken, due to the inherent repro-' siliency of the material comprising the easing end walls and side walls, causing these walls to regain their normal unstressed form and the end walls carrying the contacts to open circuit position, as illustrated.

Referrin now to that embodiment of my invention ilustrated in Figs. 3 to -5, inclusive, the operation of the same generally is closely like that of the first embodiment, exceptthat in the second embodiment I show a contact set comprising a disk 32 carried on the end of a rod 39, the rod 39 being secured by clamping nuts 11 and 12 to an end wall 3 of the casing. 4

In place of the cup shaped element 10, I provide a'eup shaped elem'ent40 having inward flanges 41 at its upper portion, as shown. Also in place of the push button 28, I terminate the rod 39 in a ring 38 to which a wire or cord 37 may be secured. In this embodiment, the contacts are closed by a pull on the wire 37- communicated to the rod 39 and pulling the contact disk 32 into contacting engagement with the flan ed portion 41 of the element 40.. Also, if t e pull on the wire or cord 37 is at an angle to a direction axial of the rod 39, the periphery of the disk 32 may be brought to engagement with the inner side walls of the element 40. As in the first embodiment, the inherent resiliency of the end wall 3 and the side walls 31, or either of them, or both, causes the contacts to be restored to normal position as in the embodiment illustrated.

In Figs. 3 to 5, inclusive, I also show a third contact element 42 comprising a screw passing centrally through the wall 4 of the casing and insulated therefrom normally making contact with the central part of the end of the contact rod 39, which carries the disk 32. This contact is broken whenever the rod 39 is moved in such a direction as to close the contacts 32-41. I comprehend in m invention either makin or brea in contacts, or both, in eit er of the embodiments of my invention. The illustrations of both kinds in the drawings are for the purpose of disclosing one way of accomplishing such makin or breaking functions. Other equiva ent arrangements are known and comprehended in my invention.

Fig. 5 shows how the device of the second embodiment ma be mounted, on an automotive vehicle an motion communicated by means ofthe wire 37 from a brake pedal of an automobile or other automotive vehicle. The circuit arrangement shown is for displaying a so-called stop light 43 whenever the brake edal is actuated to brake the vehicle. is is only a single use to which devices comprehended in my invention may be put, and is shown principally tofillustrate a method, of causing a pull to be exerted on a wire 37 to operate f the 06mm set of the device to accomplish Haruseful function. A yieldable spring 51 is shownin the wire connection.

Having thus described my invention in two embodiments, I am aware that numerous and extensive departures may be made in 'the embodiments herein illustrated and described, but without departing from the spirit of my invention. aw

I claim 1. In an electric switch the combination with. a substantially closed casing having longitudinallycollapsible side walls and oppositely disposed end walls, of an electrical circuit switch contact carried by each of the end walls, and operating means for the switch secured to one of the end-walls and said contacts being so adapted when actuated by force applied parallel to the axis of the side walls or obliquely thereto to efl'ectjsuch distortion of the side walls as will actuate the set of contacts, said actuating means adapted for connection to an. actuating 'cable or the like,

isposed and connected to the said end walls that contact will be had between them only upon exercise of a predetermined pulling-pressure on the cable.

2. In an electric switch the combination' with a substantially closed casing having longitudinally collapsible side walls and oppos tely disposed end walls, of an electrical circuit switch contact carried by each of the end walls, and operating means for the switch secured to one of the end walls and ads. .when actuated b mlfel to the axis of. tlle's'ide' applied p walls orobliquely thereto to effect suchdistortion of the side walls as will actuate the set .of contacts, said actuating means adapted for connection to an actuating cable or the like through which actuating pressure may be applied in a direction oblique to the axis 0 thcco ntainer walls to close the said contacts, and a second set of contacts adapted to be opened thereby prior to closure of the first set of contacts.

3. In an electric switch, a hermetically I sealed cell, a pair of normally separated contacts disposed within the cell, said cell having corrugated inherently resilient extensible metallic side walls, and end walls for including said contacts in an electrica circuit" controllable thereb In testimony whereof I si ature this 3rd da of Februa 1925.

hereunto affix my: 

